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The hook: stopping people in the first line
6 minutes · 8 steps · workout 1 of 6 in this module
What you'll be able to do
By the end of this workout, you'll be able to write a first line that stops the right person, recognize the five hook types, and read from CTR and CPC whether a hook is working.
A first look: The hook has one job
The hook is the first line of your ad, or the first two seconds of your video. It has one job: earn the next line. It doesn't need to sell, explain, or list features. It needs to make one specific person think “that's me” or “wait, what?” People decide whether to keep reading in about a second, so the hook is where most of your budget is won or lost. If the hook fails, the best body copy in the world is never read.
Example: Corner Coffee's app ad: “Still waiting in line for coffee at 8:15?” The person in that line at 8:15 stops. Everyone else scrolls on, and that's fine.
What this workout covers
- The hook has one job
- Case: Two first lines, same everything else
- Hook mistakes that cost you the scroll
- Case: The video nobody watched past two seconds
A question from this workout: Two first lines, same everything else
Green Garden Skincare ran two Meta ads for its Balance moisturizer. Same video, same audience, same budget, same offer. Only the first line was different. Ad A opened with “Natural skincare for glowing skin.” Ad B opened with “Oily by 2 p.m.? A moisturizer that doesn't shine.”
- Ad A click-through rate (CTR)
- 0.9%
- Ad A cost per click (CPC)
- $1.10
- Ad B click-through rate (CTR)
- 1.8%
- Ad B cost per click (CPC)
- $0.60
What do these numbers tell you, and what do you do next?
- It's a coincidence. Two ads aren't enough to decide; run five more visuals first
- Ad A is safer because it appeals to more people. Keep both running at equal budget
- Ad B's hook names a specific problem, so the right people click more. Higher CTR also lowered CPC. Move the budget to B and test new hooks against it
- Ad B is too narrow. Rewrite it to mention every skin type so nobody feels left out
Pick your answer first, then open the reasoning below.
Show the answer and the reasoning
Answer: C. Ad B's hook names a specific problem, so the right people click more. Higher CTR also lowered CPC. Move the budget to B and test new hooks against it
The only thing that changed is the first line, and CTR doubled. A specific problem stops the person who has that problem. Meta and Google reward ads that get more engagement with cheaper clicks, which is why CPC almost halved too. The most common mistake is the second option: “appeals to more people” sounds safe, but the numbers show the vague line stopped fewer people, not more. Wide and vague is the expensive choice.
The other steps work the same way: you decide first, then see why each option is right or wrong.
How you practice here
- 2 short concept cards
- 2 multiple-choice questions
- 2 campaign cases with real-looking numbers
- 1 matching exercise
- 1 guided calculation
Part of the module: Ad Copywriting Basics
Copy that grabs attention in the first line, sells a benefit and gets people to act: hook, body, CTA and formulas that work.
More workouts in this module
- Sell benefits, not features
- AIDA and PAS: two formulas that work
- Writing a call to action (CTA)
- Same message, different platform: Google, Meta, TikTok, marketplaces
- Ad policies and truth-in-advertising rules
Programs that include this workout